Friday, November 30, 2012

Welcome to the Biblical Studies Carnival November 2012

November 2012 is a month to be remembered for storm and devastation. The opening Sabbath d'var Torah from Rachel Barenblat outlines trouble, consequences, and responsibilities.

Simon Halloway continues reflection on the Sabbath and violations of halakah on behalf of those in trouble. "Better to transgress a serious prohibition once than it is to transgress a mild prohibition several times". One might note this workaround also from Jim Davila.

David and Goliath get a dig from Yigal Levin, reported by Deane. "What Levin proposes is that the ma’gal (מעגל) mentioned in 1 Sam. 17.20 refers to the Israelite encampment and should be identified with Khirbet Qeiyafa."

James Pate continues his weekly discipline on the Psalms, 101, 102, 103, 104. David Koyzis posts a robust performance of Psalm 104 of the Genevan Psalter, here sung in Korean. On the Sunday next before Advent, David has two Psalms: 50 and 93.

Michael Kok points out a new blog - with a delightful lecture about some tidbits on Hebrew. I wish I understood Polish! [Ed. how can it be delightful if you don't understand? Go see for yourself. And listen to the music too - Cherubini Requiem - fabulous.]

Chris Heard has a new page עִבְרִית מִקְרָאִית on Biblical Hebrew resources for teaching.

Airton José da Silva (whose blog is now a teenager) has a downloadable course on Biblical Hebrew described here. (In Portuguese). Airtonjo also notes a new site with articles reaching way back even to an article of his on Psalm 12 from 1988 in Brazil.

Emanuel Tov sums up his conversation with Marc Brettler: "more and more I've started to realize that we should base our exegesis, because that's what we do with textual criticism, ... not only on the Masoretic text but also on the Septuagint, Samaritan Pentateuch, and certain Qumran scrolls."

Suzanne at BLT comments on the history of versification of the Biblical text and notes the Paginus Latin Bible online. Read this one for notes on the Kabbalah as well.

At Jesus Creed, Preston Sprinkle writes on Militarism and Idolatry. And there is an RJS series on The Bible and the Believer: How to read the Bible Critically and Religiously, by Mark Brettler, Peter Enns, and Daniel Harrington.

Robert Holmstedt gives us a summary of what he and John Cook have been up to in the last year. Every link looks like a good read for anyone with an interest in Hebrew.

Morgan Guyton's review of the review of The Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Held Evans is noted by Henry Neufeld. Kathy Keller considers that RHE ignores "(actually, by pretending you did not know about) the most basic rules of hermeneutics and biblical interpretation that have been agreed upon for centuries."

Ashleigh Bailey has a review here. "Evans has struck a magnificent balance, managing to challenge the status quo in evangelicalism without arrogantly dismissing women who understand their faith differently from her."

Pete Enns takes on inerrancy, which he calls "a high-maintenance doctrine..., a fragile theory in need of constant care and tending". Such a struggle for textual authority is not exclusive to Jews and Christians as illustrated here. (Some rides are slightly off-kilter.)

on the Inner Harbour, Victoria BC,
an abnormally interesting place
the shoes are in chargeAnd new Philosophy calls all in doubtThe Element of fire is quite put out

Nicholas Moore gives a review of The Mysticism of Hebrews by Jody Barnard. "Barnard challenges the terminological parallels and exegetical traditions that are cited in support of a Platonic background, arguing that the traditions underlying Hebrews’ treatment of the heavenly tabernacle are too widespread to be called ‘Platonizing’".

A. Le Donne ponders the adjective 'great' as applied to Bultmann, "missionary to the children of the Enlightenment."

Up to those Martyrs, who did calmly bleed

Oyle to th'Apostles Lamps, dew to their seed.

Timo Paananen reviews Heikki Räisänen's The Rise of Christian Beliefs, a book that puts Jude in its place as "another letter written in the name of a brother of Jesus, perhaps toward the end of the first century. It consists of a vicious attack against some other Christians". (Imagine that!) He also discusses Baptism in the Early Church by Everett Ferguson.

Jim Gordon introduces Jonathan Sacks' The Great Partnership. You could turn a head or two with this book, (via Eric Vanden Eykel) with a title true to Donne's Litany: The Life of the Virgin Maximum the Confessor. And there are many book reviews: e.g.

Amanda asks for more contact between Biblical Studies and Theology. (Admin at St Andrew's says 'watch this space'.) A subsequent post from ETS suggests modern evangelicals could use some historical awareness of the theologian, in this case, Barth. A new blogger, Travis O'Brian, a philosopher and pastor, has appeared in the Theology area. He is developing a series on belief.

And there is also the mysterious shroud, created by an unknown artist with knowledge of "light negativity, light spectometry, microscopy, radiology, human physiology, pathology, hematology, endocrinology, forensics and archaeology."

Star-child (2001 Stanley Kubrick)What Artist now dares boast that he can bringHeaven hither, or constellate any thing?

Le Donne seconded by McGrath search out the oldest Science Fiction. James mentions some unscientific fiction too. And not to be out done, Le Donne reminds all of an amusing agraphon, the toothless who are required to grind teeth with be provided with dentures. Some axe-grinders touch a truth known neither by forger, skeptic, nor duped.

Sarah Coakley assesses the debate over presbyter and episcopos with a focus on incoherence and on intentional and mandatedsilence becoming the means to Christ-like episcopal authority. See also the notes on this debate at Euangelion.

So many weedlesse Paradises beeWhich of themselves produce no venemous sinneExcept some foreign Serpent bring it in

And Jim Davila's paper on the Angelic Revelations of John Dee reveals a creative linguist. "The project of inventing the language, composing the texts, and providing coherent translations of them must have been extraordinarily time consuming and must have required a rare creativity and imagination."

And now I am done (and Donne I am not). Let Amanda (kaas dragen, che porta formaggio), live blogging ETS here and here (a second witness incorporating Tom Verenna's Zombies into the carnival), have the last image and its word:

The host makes no claim, unless otherwise noted, concerning his agreement or not with the content of the linked posts in this carnival. He is equally aware that he may have missed many worthy and unworthy posts. If the carnival went to the dogs - that was, in the words of his mentor, accidentall and not essentiall. If your post did not to your joyes appeare or the host missed an important post ... please put the link in a comment. Occasionally, the host was simply overwhelmed. Occasionally, your link is subtly interwoven.The Carnival inscription is from Donne's Sermon XV. They shall awake as Jacob did, and say as Jacob said, Surely the Lord is in this place, and this is no other but the house of God, and the gate of heaven, And into that gate they shall enter, and in that house they shall dwell, where there shall be no Cloud nor Sun, no darkness nor dazzling, but one equal light, no noise nor silence, but one equal music, no fears nor hopes, but one equal possession, no foes nor friends, but one equal communion and Identity, no ends nor beginnings; but one equal eternity in the habitations of thy Glory, world without end.Carnival headings are from Of the Progresse of the Soule: The Second Anniversary, John (verily le) Donne, 1612. Some tension there was as to which of this universal Quire each post might be gathered. The 'virgin squadron of white confessors' and the 'sacred academy of doctors' (from the Litany) might also have found their place in the headings. Other random captions untimely snatched from their context are from An Anatomie of the World: The First Anniversary.If the shadow of one link against another has offended, think but this and all is mended - that you have but slumbered here while these visions did appear and this weak and idle theme no more yielding but a dream. (Puck)